Polarization fluctuations in the radiation from cosmic sources due to scattering in a random inhomogeneous magnetoactive plasma

We use Feynman integrals along the trajectories to obtain expressions for the fourth-order statistical moments of polarized radiation propagating through a random inhomogeneous plasma. We write down the correlation functions and dispersion of the fluctuations in the Stokes parameters for the case of small fluctuations in the wave filed. We analyze the correlation functions of the Stokes parameters as a function of the polarization of the radiation from the source and the characteristics of the inhomogeneous plasma. We show that for each of the normal waves, the amplitudes and the phases experience different amounts of decorrelation in a random inhomogeneous magnetoactive plasma. As a result, fluctuations occur in the circular polarization.Radio Astronomical Institute, Academy of Sciences of the Ukrainian SSR. Translated from Izvestiya Vysshikh Uchebnykh Zavedenii, Radiofizika, Vol. 34, No. 7, pp. 738–747, July, 1991     

Polarization of the “Sura” facility radiation on oblique paths

We derived analytical expressions for the Stokes parameters of the “Sura” facility radiation. Results of the first experiments on studying the linearly polarized components of the facility radiation on oblique paths by the method of reception of signals on remote spacecraft are presented. The dominant contribution of the plasmasphere into the rotation measure of the radio-wave polarization plane in near-Earth space is noted. Translated from Izvestiya Vysshikh Uchebnykh Zavedenii, Radiofizika, Vol. 52, No. 1, pp. 1–13, January 2009.     

Propagation effects in the radio interferometry of polarized radiation: II. Fluctuations of polarized radiation in a random magnetoplasma

This paper analyses fourth-order moments of polarized radiation passing through magnetoactive plasma with random irregularities both in electron density and in magnetic field. We consider the new propagation effect arising from chiral properties of random magnetoplasma. That is, the lens formed by the same irregularities of magnetic field may be characterized by refractive properties of opposite sense vis-a-vis the rotation of the wave polarization vector. This produces an appearance of slight circular polarization fluctuations arising from initially nonpolarized radiation. Analysis of the polarized radiation fluctuations may allow the spatial spectrum of magnetic field irregularities to be detected. The enhanced level of the circularly polarized component, and the share of fluctuations owing to magnetic field irregularities, can be readily observed at low frequencies only, say, in the radiation passing through the solar chromosphere or the Jovian and terrestrial ionosphere, (magnetosphere).     

Polarization of photons emitted in the process of resonant coherent excitation of relativistic ions under planar channeling conditions

Owing to the recent observation of the strong anisotropy of characteristic X-ray radiation accompanying the resonant coherent excitation of relativistic Fe²⁴⁺ ions under planar channeling conditions in a silicon crystal, the resonant coherent excitation method can be considered as a candidate for a source of polarized X-ray radiation. The Stokes parameters of the radiation have been calculated using the density matrix approach. The behavior of the polarization characteristics of the radiation in various directions has been explained by considering the properties of the resonance part of the crystal field, which excites an ion and has the form of an elliptically polarized electric field.     

Dispersion process of electromagnetic waves in a moving medium

The propagation of electromagnetic waves in a moving isotropic plasma and in a moving magnetoactive plasma is considered using the invariant methods of tensor analysis. Expressions are obtained for the dielectric permittivity tensor, the dispersion equations, and the refractive indexes of electromagnetic waves in these media. Using these results it is possible to establish corrections to the angular displacement which occurs when radiation passes through a moving electron plasma.Published from Izvestiya Vysshikh Uchebnykh Zavedenii, Radiofizika, Vol. 39, No. 1, pp. 121–129, January, 1996.     

The moon as a cosmic source of linearly polarized radio emission

We analyze parameters of the partially linearly polarized thermal radio emission from the Moon taking the effects of radiative heat transfer and surface roughness into account. The distributions of the Stokes parameters I, Q, and U over the visible lunar disk are considered. The polarization parameters of the integral radio emission as functions of the frequency and the Moon phase are obtained by integrating the Q and U distributions. We consider the possibility of using the Moon as a reference source of partially linearly polarized radiation for space-borne and ground-based projects aimed at studying polarization of the Galactic radio emission and the cosmic microwave background. __________ Translated from Izvestiya Vysshikh Uchebnykh Zavedenii, Radiofizika, Vol. 50, No. 7, pp. 593–606, July 2007.     

Polarization analyzers operating in a wide spectral range

Different versions of practical realization of customary optical systems for full measurement of the polarization state of quasi-monochromatic partially polarized light are considered. They can be used to overcome measurement difficulties associated with the finite width of the spectral range being studied. The effect of changes in characteristics of optical and polarization elements over a spectral range on the character of polarization measurements is analyzed. Methods for elimination of chromatism or taking into account its effect on measurements are suggested. Relations for taking into account the effect of chromatism of a phase plate with constant thickness on measurement results are given. Operation of a classical four-channel scheme for studing quasi-monochromatic partially polarized light in the visible and near-IR regions is considered. For this system, expressions are derived which make possible determination of Stokes parameters taking into account the effect of a finite spectral range. A system using phase modulation of radiation by an electrooptical cell and measurement of the maximum and minimum intensities of the modulated signal is considered. Measurements are carried out by using a two-channel system. Expressions are derived which make possible determination of Stokes parameters for the system under consideration in the visible and near-IR spectral regions. A system for measuring the polarization state of radiation in the visible and near-IR regions and based on modulation of radiation by an electrooptical phase cell is described. Measurements are carried out for the fundamental modulation frequency and its harmonics using a two-channel scheme. Relations for determining Stokes parameters of the system are presented.     

On the transformation of the stokes parameters for backscattering of electromagnetic waves

Expressions are derived for the interaction matrices which describe the transformation of the Stokes parameters for backscattering of a plane quasimonochromatic electromagnetic wave by an arbitrary statistical object or by an isotropic object. By means of the matrices that have been found the determination of the mutual correlation of the orthogonal components of the scattered field must be considered in an arbitrarily chosen polarization basis for arbitrary elliptic polarization of the incident wave. For the isotropic object the modulus and argument of the generalized correlation coefficient of the linear orthogonal components of the scattered field are obtained.Translated from Izvestiya Vysshikh Uchebnykh Zavedenii, Radiofizika, Vol. 15, No. 4, pp. 601–610, April, 1972.The authors thank E. M. Kuchkov for his unfailing attention to the work.     

The Hanle effect with partial frequency redistribution. Construction of a frequency-dependent polarization matrix and numerical solution by a PALI method

The polarized approximate lambda iteration (PALI) technique developed for the weak field Hanle effect relies on the decomposition of the Stokes parameters I, Q and U into six cylindrically symmetrical components. It has been applied to complete and partial frequency redistribution with redistribution matrices in which frequency redistribution is decoupled from scattering polarization. For partial frequency redistribution, the decoupling is obtained by an adequate decomposition of the frequency space into several domains. By angle-averaging frequency-dependent terms in the exact weak field Hanle redistribution matrix for a normal Zeeman triplet, we construct a redistribution matrix with coupling between frequency redistribution and polarization and no domain decomposition. The coupling is contained in generalized frequency redistribution functions that depend on the magnetic field. The redistribution matrix is expanded in the Landi Degl’Innocenti spherical tensors for polarimetry and the Stokes parameters are decomposed into cylindrically symmetrical components. A PALI method is set up for the calculation of these components. The Stokes parameters are calculated for different simple atmospheric models. The positive Q direction corresponds to the linear polarization perpendicular to the solar limb. It is shown that the frequency space decomposition may induce large errors on Stokes U in the transition region between line core and line wings but can safely be used for Stokes I and Q, the errors staying less than 1% at all the frequencies.     

Approximate solution for describing polarization characteristics of radiation in a Rayleigh scattering medium

An approximate analytical solution for the 4 × 4 Green’s matrix of the problem of polarized radiation transfer in a plane-parallel layer of an absorptive Rayleigh scattering medium is proposed. It permits one to perform fast estimates of angular distributions of the Stokes parameters that are created by an incident beam with an arbitrary polarization state at different levels in a layer when the layer thickness, absorption magnitude, and albedo of the underlying surface are varied. The developed solution is compared with data obtained by the numerical doubling method. The value of the scattering coefficient for a circularly polarized radiation is shown to be somewhat smaller than that for linearly polarized radiation.     

Polarization Characteristics of Diffraction Radiation

Polarization characteristics of diffraction radiation generated by charged particles moving close to a tilted conducting half-plane or passing through a slit are studied. Unlike the linearly polarized transition radiation, the diffraction radiation is shown to possess elliptical polarization. The dependence of three Stokes parameters of diffraction radiation on the distance to the slit center is analyzed for the case of a particle passing through a slit. A method for determining the transverse beam size while measuring the diffraction radiation polarization is proposed.     

双折射光纤受激拉曼散射偏光特性的实验研究

对椭圆芯光纤受激拉曼散射偏光特性进行了系统的实验研究。实验巾观察到8级斯托克斯线和2级反斯托克斯线,对不同偏振态的抽运光激励下各级斯托克斯线的偏振特性、拉曼频移等参量进行了分析,并给出了经验公式。其结果与实验数据符合良好。实验表明,双折射光纤受激拉曼谱的各级斯托克斯线的偏振状态不但与拉曼介质有关还与抽运光的偏振态有关,入射抽运光偏振态对低阶次的斯托克斯线拉曼频移的影响较小,而对高级斯托克斯线拉曼频移影响较大。     

Polarization of light: Fourth-order effects and polarization-squeezed states

The polarization properties of a monochromatic beam of light are ordinarily determined by three numbers, for example, the Stokes parameters. However, three numbers are no longer sufficient when intensity fluctuations in the polarized modes (or the correlation between them) are recorded. It is shown that in this case nine parameters, which can be arranged into 3×3 matrices, must be prescribed. The transformation properties of these matrices under polarization converters and the invariants of the matrices are analyzed. Specifically, the fourth-order polarization P ₄ is introduced. Several examples are examined of light with “hidden” polarization—light which is not polarized in the ordinary sense (P ₂=0) but is polarized in fourth order (P ₄≠0)—as well as “polarization-squeezed” light in which the quantum fluctuations of the Stokes parameters are suppressed. Zh. éksp. Teor. Fiz. 111, 1955–1983 (June 1997)     

Real-time analysis of partially polarized light with a space-variant subwavelength dielectric grating

A novel method for real-time polarization measurement is presented. The method is based on a space-variant wave plate that we realized as a computer-generated space-variant subwavelength dielectric grating. The Stokes parameters of the incident beam are determined by Fourier analysis of the space-variant intensity transmitted through the grating and an analyzer. We discuss the design and realization of such wave plates and demonstrate our technique with polarization measurements of both polarized and partially polarized CO(2)-laser radiation at a wavelength of 10.6 mum.     

Theory of the interaction of intense laser radiation with magnetoactive plasma

Analytical expressions for the density of magnetoactive plasma perturbed by circularly polarized relativistically strong laser radiation are obtained.     

Changes in statistics of the instantaneous Stokes parameters of a quasi-monochromatic electromagnetic beam on propagation

The changes in the probability density functions (PDFs) are discussed, of the instantaneous Stokes parameters of a quasi-monochromatic electromagnetic beam propagating in free space. Such changes may be caused by correlations between the components of the electric field at a pair of points in the source plane. When the fluctuations of the electric field are governed by Gaussian statistics the PDFs of the instantaneous Stokes parameters at any distance from the source are completely determined by the two-point correlation properties of the field in the source plane. These results can be used for synthesis of sources generating random beams with prescribed statistical properties. They also may find applications in remote sensing, tomography and communications with partially coherent and partially polarized light.     

Polarization of Čerenkov radiation in anisotropic media

Using the method of Stokes parameters, we examine the polarization of erenkov radiation in anisotropic media. The study reveals that the radiation is totally polarized and that circular polarization is purely a quantum effect. We examine two cases: when the particle initially moves along the optical axis and when the particle initially moves perpendicular to the optical axis.     

Spectroscopic polarimetry with a channeled spectrum

We describe a novel method for the spectroscopic measurement of the state of polarization (SOP) of light. A pair of thick birefringent retarders is incorporated into the spectroscopic polarimeter, so the generated channeled spectrum is composed of three quasi-cosinusoidal components carrying the information about the SOP of the light that is being measured. Fourier inversion of the channeled spectrum provides significant parameters for determination of the spectrally resolved Stokes parameters of light. No mechanically movable components for polarization control or active devices for polarization modulation are used, and all the Stokes parameters can be determined at once from only the single spectrum. The effectiveness of this method is demonstrated by the generation of elliptically polarized light whose SOP varies with wave number.     

Multiple scattering of elliptically polarized light in two-dimensional medium with large inhomogeneities

For elliptically polarized light incident on a two-dimensional medium with large inhomogeneities, the Stokes parameters of scattered waves are calculated. Multiple scattering is assumed to be sharply anisotropic. The degree of polarization of scattered radiation is shown to be a nonmonotonic function of depth when the incident wave is circularly polarized or its polarization vector is not parallel to the symmetry axis of the inhomogeneities.